How to Plan a Packaging Redesign Project

The Problem: Packaging Projects Miss Launch Dates

Packaging redesigns routinely miss their target launch date because the timeline underestimates the number of approvals required. Brand approvals, legal reviews, regulatory submissions, supplier qualifications, and production trials all need to happen in a specific sequence — and each one takes longer than expected when it's not tracked as a project task.

The second problem is scope miscommunication. Marketing is designing for aesthetics while operations is focused on structural performance. Regulatory is reviewing label copy while procurement is negotiating with a new supplier. Nobody sees the full picture, so dependencies between workstreams are invisible until they cause a delay.

A packaging redesign Gantt chart makes the full scope visible — structural design, graphic design, regulatory, supplier, and production changeover all in one timeline. gantt-chart.io gives your marketing, operations, and supply chain teams a shared project view so every approval, qualification, and trial is tracked as a task with an owner and a deadline.

Prerequisites

Business case approved: what is the reason for the redesign (cost, sustainability, brand, compliance)?
Budget confirmed for design, tooling, regulatory submissions, and inventory write-off
Cross-functional team assembled: brand, R&D/packaging engineering, operations, regulatory, procurement
Current packaging documentation available: specs, supplier list, cost per unit
Transition plan considered: what happens to existing inventory of current packaging?
Launch date defined: is this tied to a season, retailer reset, or new product launch?

Packaging Redesign Gantt Chart Template

Phase 1: Brief and Scope Definition (Weeks 1–2)

[ ] Write packaging brief: objectives, constraints, target consumer, sustainability requirements
[ ] Define scope: primary packaging only, or primary + secondary + shipper?
[ ] Confirm budget: design, prototyping, tooling, regulatory, transition costs
[ ] Establish go-live date and work backwards to set phase milestones
[ ] Identify regulatory requirements: FDA, CPSC, country-specific labeling for each market
[ ] Confirm retailer packaging requirements if product is sold through major retail

Phase 2: Structural Design (Weeks 2–7)

[ ] Brief packaging engineer or structural design agency
[ ] Develop 2–3 structural concepts for internal evaluation
[ ] Evaluate concepts against cost, sustainability, machinability, and consumer experience criteria
[ ] Select structural direction — document rationale, not just the decision
[ ] Develop engineering drawings and specifications
[ ] Prototype selected structure for physical evaluation

Phase 3: Graphic Design (Weeks 3–9, parallel with structural)

[ ] Brief graphic design team or agency with approved packaging brief
[ ] Develop 2–3 graphic concepts aligned to brand guidelines
[ ] Internal brand review and consumer research if warranted
[ ] Select graphic direction and develop final artwork
[ ] Legal and regulatory review of all label copy: claims, warnings, ingredient statements, barcodes
[ ] Final artwork approval with sign-off from brand, legal, and regulatory

Phase 4: Regulatory Submission (Weeks 7–14, if applicable)

[ ] Determine regulatory submission requirements by market (FDA, EU, other)
[ ] Prepare submission dossier: artwork, material specifications, safety data
[ ] Submit to regulatory authorities — track submission date and expected response window
[ ] Respond to any agency questions or requests for additional information
[ ] Receive regulatory clearance or approval before production begins
[ ] Document clearance on file for each market

Phase 5: Supplier Qualification (Weeks 6–12)

[ ] Issue new packaging specifications to current and prospective suppliers
[ ] Request samples from qualified suppliers based on final structural specs
[ ] Conduct physical testing: drop test, compression, transit simulation, moisture resistance
[ ] Production trial at supplier facility: confirm machine speeds, yield, and quality
[ ] Cost negotiation and supplier selection based on qualification results
[ ] Execute supplier agreement and confirm minimum order quantities and lead times

Phase 6: Production Changeover (Weeks 12–16)

[ ] Coordinate packaging changeover date with production scheduling
[ ] Order initial run of new packaging — confirm delivery date aligns with changeover
[ ] Production trial: run new packaging on line, confirm machine settings and throughput
[ ] Quality sign-off: first article inspection against new specifications
[ ] Plan transition inventory: how to run down old packaging without excess write-off
[ ] Update item specifications, BOM, and ERP records with new packaging data

Common Mistakes

1. Graphic and structural design running fully in sequence. Structural and graphic design should run largely in parallel, with clear hand-offs at defined milestones. Sequential execution adds 4–6 weeks to the timeline unnecessarily.

2. Regulatory review as an afterthought. Legal and regulatory review of label copy must happen before final artwork is sent to production. Regulatory changes after final art approval mean a complete artwork revision cycle.

3. No supplier production trial. Approving new packaging based on samples without a production trial at the supplier is how quality problems are discovered after the first commercial run.

4. Inventory transition not planned. Going live with new packaging while thousands of units of old packaging are in stock creates a write-off or a confusing mixed-packaging period in market. Plan the transition inventory drawdown.

5. Launch date set before regulatory clearance timeline is known. If the product requires FDA or other regulatory clearance, the clearance timeline gates everything else. Confirm the regulatory timeline before setting the launch date.

Quick-Start in gantt-chart.io

Open gantt-chart.io and create a project called "Packaging Redesign — [Product Name]"
Add the six phases with parallel tracks for structural design, graphic design, and regulatory
Set regulatory clearance as a hard gate before production changeover begins
Assign brand lead to Phase 3, packaging engineer to Phase 2, and procurement to Phase 5
Mark the production changeover date as a milestone that triggers inventory transition planning

FAQ

How long does a full packaging redesign take?

16–20 weeks for a standard redesign without regulatory submissions. 20–28 weeks when regulatory submissions (FDA, EU) are required. Structural tooling can add 4–8 weeks if new molds are needed.

Do we need consumer research before selecting a graphic direction?

For significant redesigns that affect brand recognition, yes — particularly if you're changing color, logo placement, or key visual equity. For minor refreshes, internal alignment is sufficient.

When do we tell retailers about the redesign?

At least 12 weeks before the new packaging ships to their distribution centers. Major retailers may have planogram reset schedules that determine when new packaging can appear on shelf.

What's a first article inspection?

A formal review of the first production run against approved specifications. It happens before the full production run is released. It catches machine setup errors, color shifts, and die cut variations before they affect the entire run.

How do we handle mixed old and new packaging in the market?

Communicate to your sales team and key retailers before the transition. Plan to sell through old packaging from existing inventory before the new arrives in market — stagger ship dates if needed.

Packaging redesigns succeed when every function — brand, engineering, regulatory, supplier, and production — works from a shared timeline with clear dependencies. Build your redesign project in gantt-chart.io, run structural and graphic design in parallel, and treat regulatory clearance as the hard gate it is.